Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use!

This is a Voigtlander Bergheil 9x12cm camera in exceptionally fine condition. It was produced in Germany as a top quality, double extension camera. The double extension feature is a valuable feature since not only does it allow the camera to focus at very close distances with the standard lens; it also means that various longer lenses could be used as well. 

An interesting historical fact is that the Voigtlander Bergheil was Brassai’s favorite camera. This photographer used a Bergheil extensively to record images of Paris in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. If you’re not familiar with Brassai’s work, I recommend looking him up on the internet.

This Bergheil is equipped with a quality dial-set Compur shutter. This shutter has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. All shutter speeds (T, B, 1 sec – 1/200th) are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the faster speeds are clean and snappy

This camera is fitted with a very desirable Voigtlander Heliar lens. (A superb design with five elements in three groups.) The Heliar is well known, well loved and is recognized as a masterpiece of design. It was an expensive top-qualitylens. For decades it was a benchmark of sharpness, but its greatness is not simply defined by high resolution. What photographers and artists love about this lens is the beautiful rendition in the fore and back-ground. It’s something the Japanese refer to as bokeh. Simply said, this lens has a gorgeous bokeh. Open up the lens or narrow the depth of field by getting closer and the focus rolls on and off silky smooth as cream… Soft out of focus foreground moves lovingly into sharp focus on your subject matter and then off again into gently blurred background. There are few lenses that do it as nicely as this. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, then you’re in for a treat….

The superb 4.5/13.5 (135mm) Heliar lens is exceptionally clean and looks virtually new. The glass is clean and clear. There are no scratches, no cleaning marks and it’s capable of producing beautiful photos with modern color & B&W film. 

The camera comes complete with a very nice Rada 120 roll film back. It’s shown with its original box, along with the original instructions and a removable reduction mask which allows you to produce 6x6 or 6x9 negatives. 

All in all, an exceptionally beautiful classic camera with an exceptionally fine Heliar lens and shutter.